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No. 750,364, v PATENTED JAN. 26, 1904. -P. A. HOWARD. NUT LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1903. N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented January 26, 1904.

FRANK A. HOWARD, OF FRESNO, CALIFORNIA.

NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 750,364, dated January 26, 1904.

Application filed July 9, 1903. Serial No. 164,913. (No model.) 7

To all whom/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. HOWARD, a oitizen of the United States, residing at Fresno, in the county of Fresno and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in- Nut-Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to what is commonly designated a nut-lock; and it consists of certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, the preferred form whereof will be hereinafter clearly set forth, and pointed out in the claims. I

The prime object of my invention, among others, is to provide a locking device for holding a nut upon its bolt whereby casual reverse movement of the nut will be impossible.

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple, though reliably efficient, construction whereby the nut may be readily reversed and therefore removed from the end of the bolt. 4

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter made clearly apparent, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are made apart of this application, and in which- Figure 1 shows a perspective view of my nut-lock complete as applied to use upon an ordinary bolt. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. 2 on line 3 3. Fig. 4c is a plan view of the outer face of the nut removed from its bolt.

For convenience in description the various parts of my invention and accessories will be designated by numerals, the same numerals applying to a similar part throughout the several views.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 indicates an ordinary bolt which is provided with suitable screw-threads, as is common, and is also provided with a plurality of longitudinally-disposed grooves 2, there being any preferred number of said grooves deemed most desirable, it being understood that said grooves may be of any preferred form in cross-section and of any desired depth.

3 designates the securing-nut adapted to fit over the end of the bolt.

One corner of the nut 3 1s cut away or removed so as to prov de .a seat or recess 4:, and in said recess thus or otherwise formed I pivotally mount the locking-detent 5 by means of the screw or rivet 6, which passes through an aperture in the detent 5 and into the aperture 7, formed in a contiguous part of the wall of the recess 4,

whereby said detent may be readily secured in place or removed, as desired. The detent 5 is shaped substantially like an inverted L, the outer end thereof forming the depending handle portion 8, the inner end thereof being provided with the toothlike extension 11, which is of proper size to fit within the grooves 2. The inner end of the detent 5 is normally held in contact with the bolt 1 by means of a spring 9, said spring being secured at one end to the nut 3 by means of a rivet 10, as more clearly shown in Fig. 3. A recess is cut in the lower side of the detent 5, into which extends the upper free end of the spring 9, said spring finding a bearing against a contiguous section of the handle portion 8. As the spring 9 is disposed between the bolt 1 and the bandle 8 a portion of said handle is cut away, thus enabling said handle to travel inward incident to raising the extension 11 out of engagement with the grooves 2. It will thus be seen that as the spring 9 holds the inner end of the detent 5' normally downward in contact with the bolt 1 the tooth 11 will drop into the contiguous groove 2, and thereby reliably hold the nut from casual rotation. When, however, it is desired to reverse the movement of the locking-nut 3, a pressure upon the extension 8 will cause the tooth 11 to rise out of its groove 2, thereby permitting the nut to be freely turned in either direction.

In some instances I prefer to pivot the keeper 12 in position adjacent to the inner end of the detent 5, whereby said keeper may be moved over the free end of said detent and hold the same against any upward movement until the keeper is again moved to one side. I reserve the right, however, to employ this keeper or wholly omit the same, as I' may find most desirable in practice.

It will be seen that the various parts of my improved locking appliance for nuts and bolts may be very cheaply and expeditiously manufactured and readily assembled each in its respective operative position, and believing that the advantages and manner of using my improved nut-lock have thus been made clearly apparent further description is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a nut-lock, the combination of the bolt having a plurality of longitudinally-disposed grooves on its threaded end, of a nut adapted to fit said threaded end and having a recess cut in one corner thereof, a detent 5 pivotally mounted in said recess and having a tooth upon its inner end, and a depending handle portion 8 at its outer end, said detent replacing the part of the nut cut away whereby the general outline of the nut is maintained, a spring secured at one end to said nut, its opposite end entering a recess in said detent and bearing against said depending handle, and a keeper pivotally secured to said nut adjacent to the inner end of said detent, adapted to lock said detent in its operative position, substantially as set forth.

2. In a nut-lock, the combination with a bolt having a plurality of longitudinally-disposed grooves on its threaded end, of a nut adapted to fit said threaded end and having a recess cut in one corner thereof, a detent 5 pivotally mounted in said recess and having a tooth upon its inner end adapted to engage a longitudinal groove, a depending handle 8 at the opposite end of said detent, said detent having a recess on its under side adjacent to said handle, a spring carried by said nut, the free end of which enters said recess, a part of the depending handle being cut away,whereby, the remaining part may freely pass said spring when the handle is moved inward incidental to the release of the detent from engagement with the bolt, a keeper 12 pivotally secured to the nut and adapted to have its free end moved over said detent to lock it in its operative position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

FRANK A. HOWARD.

WVitnesses:

J. R. CAIN, F. B. HOWARD. 

